Internet Job Research

Internet Job Research Employers in the current job market are very precise with regard to qualification of potential employees. It is important for an individual pursuing a certain career path to acquire knowledge on the qualities, which most employers want. Not only should the job seeker know the job requirements but also the benefits that characterize the job.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Internet Job Research specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A single profession may offer different salaries based on the employees educational prerequisites, expertise and environmental location. The tables below show variation of salary with respect to various degree courses, geographical location and varying years of experience (Pay scale, 2011). Accounting manager (Pay scale, 2011) Detail Amount Salary $39,558-$87710 Bonus $728-$11,151 Profit sharing $947-$7,003 Total pay $37,580-$91,381 Salary and bonus based on experience (Pay scale, 2011) Years of experience National Salary Data Bonus Less than 1 year $32,672-$47,932 $2000 1-4 years $39,896-$58,565 $2462 5-9 years $50,091-$75,499 $4,798 10-19 years $50,877-$77,731 $4,907 Over 20 years $50,422-$74,158 $2,979 Salary based on degree Degree Salary Bachelor of science( Accounting) $54,430-$80,179 Masters of Business Administration $61,403-$102,730 Associate’s Degree, Accounting $34,636-$50,000 Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) $57,561-$79,992 Bachelor of Arts (Accounting) $49,721-$75,076 Bachelor of Science(BS) $55,067-$70,256 Bachelor of Science Business administration $45,913-$84,500 Salary based on city (Geography) Houston $52,338 $82,750 New York $64,085 $96,341 Los Angeles $53,611 $82,025 Atlanta $53,175 $74,721 Chicago $58,246 $85,700 Dallas $51,977 $76,380 Denver $54,605 $72,943 Assistant Comptroller Detail Amount Salary $43,017-$95,241 Bonus $988-$17,676 Profit Sharin g $977-$10,113 Total pay $41,598-$102,739 Salary and bonus based on experience Years of experience Salary Bonus Less than 1 year $30,513-54,045 $2000 1-4 years $43,933-$63,972 $3,072 5-9 years $50,749-$76,460 $5,131 10-19 years $57,670-$86,243 $7,571 Over 20 years $53,025-$82,208 $4,050 Salary based on degree Degree Salary Bachelor of science (accounting) $51,730-$63,500 Bachelor of Business Administration $42,950-$65,850 Salary based on city (Geography) New York, $65,505 $96,562 Houston $46,794 $79,800 Chicago $51,222 $92,882 Los Angeles $68,153 $87,371 Dallas $50,209 $81,448 Atlanta $44,803 $65,035 Boston $52,359 $91,475 Accounting Manager The basic obligation of accounting managers is to prepare and analyze financial documents. In addition, the accounting manager prepares budgets; appraise procedures and act as an administrator of assets (Bureau of labor statistics 2011). The above table reveal that this job not only pays a basic salary but also gives other benefits that include profit share and Bonus. Tables further disclose that salary increases with the number of years of experience. Once a worker attains in excess of twenty years experience, no additional increment awarded. Bonus follows a rather peculiar trend as it increases as experienced is gained but once a worker attains twenty years of experience the amount of bonus decreases. Salary is awarded differently depending on degree course with holder of Masters in Business Administration being the best remunerated. Wages also fluctuate with regard to the geographical location. In this career, workers in the most urban and populous cities are best rewarded. Assistant Comptroller The individual holding this office must have adequate knowledge in the accounting field as an assistant comptroller has the basic duty of ensuring that records kept adhere to accounting policies (Bureau of labor statistics, 2011). This career seems to pay more but the remun eration show similar trend to that of an accounting manager. â€Å"Benefits offered include a basic salary, bonus and profit share† (Bureau of labor statistics, 2011). Salary and bonus increase with experience except bonus reduces on attainment of twenty years of practice. The statistic collected reveal that holders of Bachelor of Science (Accounting) receive better wages. Assistant comptrollers in the large populated cities generally receive better salaries in small towns. It important that proper educational experience is gained as it plays an important role in determining once career path. It is essential that students further their education to enable them land into their dream careers. Overall, these two jobs are similar but an assistant comptroller job that relates to auditing is rather interesting and is in my career path.Advertising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In conclusion, the two careers are related, as they require knowledge from the accounting field. The wages awarded to accounting managers and assistant comptrollers is relatively equal but the later are better paid. An accounting manager will be involved m in the preparation of records while an assistant comptroller will focus on enforcement standards. References Bureau of labor statistics (2011). Accountants and Auditors. Retrieved from  https://www.bls.gov/ Pay scale. (2011). Salary Snapshot for Accounting Manager Jobs. Retrieved from  https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Accounting_Manager/Salary#by_City Pay scale (2011). Salary Snapshot for Assistant Controller (Financial) Jobs.  Retrieved from  https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Assistant_Controller_(Financial)/Salary#by_City Appendix- Tip sheet on Internet sites Run by a recognized body or organization, for example the government Constantly revised Accurate Appropriately authored Appropriately dated C ontacts available Easily accessible information Referrals available for more details Affordability Sensitive to user’s needs Interactive interface User-friendliness Accurate sources Authorized modifications Disclaimers are available for people to seek professional help.

Power Definitions and Examples in Sociology

Power Definitions and Examples in Sociology Definition: Power is a key sociological concept with several different meanings and considerable disagreement surrounding them. The most common definition comes from Max Weber, who defined it as the ability to control others, events, or resources; to make happen what one wants to happen in spite of obstacles, resistance, or opposition. Power is a thing that is held, coveted, seized, taken away, lost, or stolen, and it is used in what are essentially adversarial relationships involving conflict between those with power and those without. In contrast, Karl Marx used the concept of power in relation to social classes and social systems rather than individuals. He argued that power rests in a social class’s position in the relations of production. Power does not lie in the relationship between individuals, but in domination and subordination of social classes based on the relations of production. A third definition comes from Talcott Parsons who argued that power is not a matter of social coercion and domination, but instead flows from a social system’s potential to coordinate human activity and resources in order to accomplish goals.

Political and economic conditions in Russia Essay

Political and economic conditions in Russia - Essay Example The paper is going to discuss the political and economic conditions in the Russian federation and factors that managers would consider when seeking to invest in Russia. I am also going to assess the political and economic risks in Russia at the present moment and how a companyThe present political conditions in Russia are critical to ensure successful running of businesses because of the tensions and attacks that happened on 29th of December 2013, where two suicide bombings occurred inThese bombings resulted to injuries and deaths of many people in the area and no group has claimed responsibility for the bombings. It was also speculated by the media that the attacks were meant to disrupt Russia’s planned Sochi Olympic Games this month. Volgograd being a transportation hub between Moscow and Southern Russia makes it insecure for businesses to carry out their operations since it is not known when the terrorists may strike again. It is impossible for Russia’s government to support other business ventures when they should be focusing on ensuring security around the places where the Sochi Olympic Games will be taking place to avoid more attacks. The political leaders have many responsibilities to ensure that their people are living in safe environments and their needs are met.The economy of Russia is growing because of its large production of oil and gas. Deresky and Christopher (2011) stated that Putin the president of Russia struggled to ensure that the country’s economy remained of high level.

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 Research Paper

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 - Research Paper Example A whistleblower is a person who makes a disclosure that evidence improper or illegal activities in an employment setting (Whitaker, P1). On the other hand, King defines the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 as a United States of America’s federal law that protects federal whistleblowers or government employees who report any misconduct by a federal agency. An example of a famous whistleblower was Jeffrey Wigand, Brown & Williamson’s former research and development vice president in 1966, who disclosed that cigarette companies’ executives were aware of the fact that cigarettes were addictive and increased the amount of nicotine deliberately to make them even more addictive (King, para5). The Whistleblower Protection Act/WPA was enacted in 1989, following apparent weaknesses in the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act, which was an earlier attempt to protect whistleblowers. This law led to the creation of the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates complaints from government employees that they received punishment after reporting about abuse, fraud or waste in their agencies to Congress. This office has jurisdiction over whistleblower reprisal allegations that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission employees make. The Congress passed the Act with the intention of strengthening and improving Federal employees’ rights protection, to end retaliation and to aid in the eradication of unlawful activity within the government. It mandates that workers should not go through adverse consequences because of personnel practices that are prohibited  and establishes that the Office of Special Counsel’s primary role is protecting workers, particularly whistleblowers, from forbidden personnel practices.

Social Cognitive Theories Essay Example for Free

Social Cognitive Theories Essay SOCIAL COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORIES Social Cognitive views have been influenced by the humanist idea of uniqueness of human beings, that human beings are decision makers, planners and evaluators of behavior. Key Concepts: Social cognitive learning theorists emphasize the importance of both the influences of other people’s behavior and of a person’s own expectancies on learning, and also that observational learning, modeling can lead to the formation of patterns of personality. Thought and behavior are closely interlined with the situation the person is in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory: Introduction: Albert Bandura a modern theorist helped reshape the theoretical landscape of behaviorism. Bandura believes that three factors influence one another in determint of behavior: the environment, the behavior itself and personal or cognitive factors that the person brings into situation from earlier experience. Key Terms: 1. Cognitive Processes and Reciprocal Determinism 2. Observational Learning 3. Self Regulation 4. Self Efficacy Cognitive Processes and Reciprocal Determinism: Bandura and like-minded theorists call their modified brand of behaviorism social learning theory or social cognitive theory. Bandura (1982-1986) agrees with the fundamental thrust of behaviorism in that he believes that personality is largely shaped through learning. However, he contends that conditioning is not a mechanical process in which people are passive participants. Instead, he maintains that â€Å"people are self-organizing, proactive, self-reflecting and self-regulating, not just reactive organisms shaped and shepherded by external events†. Bandura advocates a position called reciprocal determinism. According to this notion, the environment does determine behavior (as skinner would argue). However, behavior also determines the environment (in other words, people can act to alter their environment). Moreover, personal factors (cognitive structures such as beliefs and expectancies) determine and are determined by both behavior and the environment. Thus, reciprocal determinism is the idea that internal mental events, external environmental events, and over behavior all influence one another. According to Bandura, humans are neither masters of their own destiny nor hapless victims buffered about by the environment. Instead, the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes. ENVIRONMENT BEHAVIOR PERSONAL / COGNITIVE FACTORS (EXPECTATIONS, BELIEFS, SELF-EFFICACY BANDURA’S RECEIPROCAL DETERMINISM Observational Learning: Bandura’s foremost theoretical contribution has been his description of observational learning. Observational learning occurs when an organism’s responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models. According to Bandura, both classical and operant conditioning can occur vicariously when one person observes another’s conditioning. For example, watching your sister get burned by a bounced check upon selling her old stereo could strengthen your tendency to be suspicious of others. Although your sister would be the one actually experiencing the negative consequences, they might also influence you – through observational learning. Bandura maintains that people’s characteristic patterns of behavior are shaped by the models that they are exposed to. He isn’t referring to the fashion models who dominate the mass media – although they do qualify. In observational learning, a model is a person whose behavior is observed by another. At one time or another, everyone serve as a model for others. As social learning theory has been refined, it has become apparent that some models are more influential than others. Both children and adults tend to imitate people they like or respect more than people they don’t. People are also especially prone to imitate the behavior of people whom they consider attractive or powerful. Self-regulation: Bandura notes, human beings often demonstrate an impressive capacity for the self-regulation of their own behavior. While people may often respond to external factors such as positive reinforcement and punishment, they sometimes choose to ignore these and to operate in terms of internal standards and values. We set our own goals, and we often provide our own rewards when we reach them – a process Bandura describes as self-reinforcement. Self-Efficacy: Bandura discusses how a variety of personal factors (aspects of personality) govern behavior. In recent years, the factor he has emphasized most is self-efficacy. Self-efficacy refers to one’s belief about one’s ability to perform behaviors that should lead to expected outcomes. When self-efficacy is high, individuals feel confident that they can execute the responses necessary to earn reinforcers. When self-efficacy is low, individuals worry that the necessary responses may be beyond their abilities. Perceptions of self-efficacy are subjective and specific to certain kinds of tasks. For instance, you might feel extremely confident about your ability to handle difficult social situations but doubtful about your ability to handle academic challenges. Perceptions of self-efficacy can influence which challenges people tackle and how well they perform. Studies have found that feelings of greater self-efficacy are associated with greater success in giving up smoking; greater adherence to an exercise regimen; more success in coping with pain; greater persistence and effort in academic pursuits; higher levels of academic performance; enhanced performance in athletic competition; greater receptiveness to technological training and higher work-related performance, among many other things. What are the developmental antecedent of high self-efficacy? Schneewind asserts that parents can foster self-efficacy by providing a stimulating environment and by being responsive to their children’s behavior. An emphasis on warm support for children, early independence training, and non-punitive disciplinary techniques is also helpful. In contrast, parents who are authoritarian, intrusive, overprotective, or neglectful are likely to undermine self-efficacy in their offspring. Julian Rotter’s Social Learning Theory: Introduction: Rotter suggested that the likelihood of a given behavior occurring in a specific situation depends on the individuals expectancies concerning the outcomes the behavior will produce and the reinforcement value they attach to such outcomes – the degree to which the prefer one reinforcement to another. Key Terms: 1. Expectancies 2. Locus of Control Rotter developed his Social Learning Theory to incorporate cognitive factors. Rotter recognized that most the reinforcers we strive to obtain one social (e.g. Hugs, attention and that most learning occurs in social situation) Expectancies: The concept of expectancy is one of the most important elements of Rotter’s theory. When you take an exam apply for a job or ask for a date, you have some notion of the likelihood of success or failure. What you expect to happen has a powerful influence on your behavior, thought, feelings and in turn personality. Locus of Control: Locus of control involves the extent to which individuals believe that they or that external factors control their lives. Rotter focused on whether people place their locus of control inside themselves (internal) or in their environments (external). Locus of control influences how people view the world and how they identify the causes of success or failure in their lives. In an important way, people’s locus of control reflects their personality – their view of, and reactions to, the world. People with an external locus of control believe that they have little control over their lives. A college student may attribute his or her poor grade to a lousy teacher, feeling there was nothing he or she could have done to get an A. In contrast, individuals who develop an internal locus of control feel that they can master any course they take because they believe that through hard work they can do well in any subject. People develop expectations based on their beliefs about the sources of reinforcement in their environments. These expectations lead to specific behaviors described as personality. Reinforcement of these behaviors in turn strengthens expectancy and leads to increased belief in internal or external control.

Retailing in the Digital Age :: M&M’s World at Leicester Square

Introduction To expand the customers’ shopping experience and satisfaction, the atmosphere while they are shopping was necessary. The atmospherics were first founded by Kotler (1973) as an essential instrument to hold the shopping environment to produce the emotional effect on the customer buying decision. There are further studied to classify these. However, most of them were about the physical environment but after the 21st century, concepts of an online store were applied. Multiple channels are a concept of this era, to be the survivor retailers have to adapt themselves as well. This report contains the findings and analyses, which include the atmospheric variables, online retail environment, online retail atmosphere and opportunities and challenge of e-retailing. Findings and Analyses Atmospherics in term of Kotler (1973) definition are an important marketing tool that effect directly to the customer behaviour. Putting it simply, this is about the sensory effect atmosphere including sight, sound, scent and touch. This is also a part of the product that could effect to the consumer behaviour. To attempt and hold the specific segment of the target could increase the atmosphere in the store an increase buyers’ rate consumption thereby causing the increase of purchase probability. According to Turley and Milliman (2000), the behaviour of consumer could influence by the environment. From the study, there could come up with five categories that effect to the consumers’ evaluation and lead the behaviour response consist of external variables, general interior variables, layout and design variables, point-of-purchase and decoration variables and human variables as can be seen in figure 1. Figure 1: Turley and Milliman’s retail atmospherics framework Nowadays, the retail industry transitioned from brick-and-mortar to click-and-mortar retailing. As a result of developing on the Internet that has increased the flexibility for retailers to operate an online store in addition from their physical store. Moreover, the online channel also offers the benefit in selling products to the online shopper that value another customer segment (Ofek et al, 2010). Otherwise, the consumers’ behaviour in the era was not relying on one channel. They use relevant of technologies to search for an information in different ways, such as, read reviews from other customers, visit the physical store before purchasing online, finding the best price of purchase (Aubrey and Judge, 2012). This could illustrate that the customers use multi-channel for their purchase decision. In the 21st century, customers tend to be the multi-channel shopper that effect in the retailing industry.

Leche

Sale University and University of Santos Thomas. Linkman eventually returned to the motherland to study Philippine Literature and colonial history at UP Dilemma Some of his novels are Rolling the Or's. Kayak Press (1995) Prime Time Apparitions. Hanging Loose Press (2005) The Evolution of a Sigh. Hanging Loose Press (2008) Lech. Coffee House Press (2011). II. A Summary of the Novel The story is about a Filipino-American named Vince who left the Philippines to live in Hawaii at the age often years old with his siblings Jinn, aged eleven and Alvin who had Just turned nine.The story started when Vine's friend Edgar told him to Join Mr.. Pogo in Hawaii so that he could win a trip back home in motherland Philippines. After winning second place in the said pageant he was able to go back home. In Manila, He meets Bins Boca, Sister Marie and Kuris Aquinas, the daughter of the late President, Carbon Aquinas, who is also known as the â€Å"Massacre Queen†. Having gifted with good looks h e easily gain entrance in the Manila High Society and having the chance to be interviewed Kuris herself but there he realized he doesn't belong there, he doesn't along in the Philippines.Being home sick and all he tried reaching out to his sibling by sending post cards back to Hawaii and there he reconcile with his past – his childhood back in San Vaccine with his Loll, the one person whom he really had emotional connection to. In the end, he eventually goes back to San Vaccine to his hometown after his maid Burnett quite some time been telling him to go back. He eventually came home when he gave in to barbiturate's advice. He was mad at Loll AY for sending him to Honolulu, Hawaii but to his surprise he found out that all those ears he spent in Hawaii Loll AY was sick.All those years he thought Loll AY was healthy and strong. All his questions were answered upon returning home and he asked forgiveness to Loll AY. Ill. Analysis Literature is an art form in a way that it invoke s within each of us a different perceptions that is unique to an individual. Every individual has his own point of view, a window in which we view the world. Therefore, the way we see literature is the same as viewing the same star, however, from different parts of the world. Same star, but a different angle.Art for me is a mouth of a hundred people speaking loudly and differently in sync, because we see art as it is physically but the way we think of it is never the same. We give them all different meaning in our different points of view. I could say that this story is easy to read so I could gladly recommend this to peers. The story is peace and the actions are always interesting. Even I didn't take more than five or six sittings to read it entirety. The book is narrative and is a prose which made it easier to understand than poetry which has deep words and having implied meanings which made it harder to find its real meaning.As we could see on the cover of the book, is a Jeep. It 's not real, it is a wooden engraved Jeep which is usually found in a Philippine gift shops since a Jeep has a big role played in every Filipinos lives. They use this as a mode of transportation but they still have to deal with the traffic. Just this semester I have experienced a sensation of extreme laughter with facts stated in the story, problems of the 3rd world countries. He was able to put witty Jokes within serious situations within our country today.Example: he rotating brown outs and him (Vince) having to resort to alternative ways to get more water for rinsing of; the melted ice and the left over mineral water in the pitcher he found in the refrigerator. Though people in the Philippines have to pump waters in a big bin to prepare themselves for the brownout and water rotation. Or having to ride the Jeep for commuters. We all know that many Filipinos are now migrating to 1st world countries seeking a better future, but! There would always be this feeling of home sickness. M issing those thing grew up with, being far away from your comfort zone.It's not a great feeling. I remember in the story where it's stated that â€Å"you're not a Filipino if you haven't ridden a Jeep before†. This part of the story is another trivia given in the novel. Another fact is that no Jeep is the same as the other. They may be alike in terms of brand, having the same entrance but its decoration differs. This shows the creativity of the pinots. A Jeep was left by the Americans after the world war II and the Filipinos bought them from the Americans, looking dull, the Filipinos thought of decoration it.Up until now this is still practiced Hough in my opinion the Jeep is the least effective mode of transportation, stopping in every possible passengers, having a far rotation and is mainly the cause of traffic because of stopping Just anywhere anytime. Even the thought of Papas City Mall, Harrison plaza, Quip church where Vince and Kuris the massacre queen met gives a lot of memories back. In the things I have shared in my last paragraph I have shown a little about the book. The book describes the contemporary Philippine life which brings up memories and associations of the life lived by our parents not so Eng ago.This book for me is highly relatable because the way I see it majority of professionals, even non-professionals, leave the country seeking a better life. Upon reading this book it could bring back a lot of long forgotten memories of the foreigners once called Filipinos. It is an unfortunate event in the country that almost at least one member in the family leaves for abroad leaving them home sick and depressed. Those who seek being found in a world which you feel you do not belong to this book is the best to, those so called Offs are best audience for this novel.The book Lech is a good book since the author actually wrote it through firsthand experience. Since he left the Philippines he felt homesick and wrote a book about what he could rem ember about motherland. It shows that you should appreciate what you have now until it's all gone. When he was able to step on motherland steps he wasn't getting any of what he is expecting yet he still is feeling happy having to reconnect to his past and remembering the moments he had with his 1010, even those he has with his siblings back when they were still a child.The main point of this story s that even if you've been far from home for a long long period of time there would always be a little of yourself left in that place that you'd long to meet again and someday you'd dream of seeing that place you once knew and loved. Just like everyone says â€Å"there's no place like home† and even though he's attained a lot in his recent location going home is still worth more than anything in the world, knowing that in San Vaccine is once his and his grandfather's domain he would always wonder back to the feelings he had way back with his LOLL.Everyone knew he had this facial con nection with his grandfather a love so strong that they bond by reading books. Even in silence they feel their special connections that they have because his grandfather is all his got after being left by his parents when they went to Hawaii. Another fun fact about it is the tourist tips. It really is a good books for balalaika's who is like Vince who is unable to come back home in a very long time. These tips actually are really useful if you're a foreigner or a balalaikas to give you a heads up if you're clueless of what you might deal with upon returning to the Philippines.It's really interesting how he really expressed those fun facts about the Philippines as well as the people in the place. Many parts of the book shows Vince having flashbacks. Since he was unable to come home in thirteen years he had a lot of recollecting to do. Simply manila gave him a lot of reminiscing but of course it was always in his home town where all his memories are stored. The book is still applicabl e in modern times. Those past experiences shared in the book is still relevant in the lives of many people traversing our 7, 107 islands today.Socialites, lovelier, separation from implies, poverty, government, immigration of professionals still at large. Reading a book where you can relate to is one thing about a book. Reading something and in the middle you'll be saying â€Å"ay lam OK yang! † â€Å"antipodean OK yang! ‘ â€Å"ay tama nag! Gangway nag Yuan! † is a great feeling because you get to know the inner you. You as a citizen of this fair country. One of the main problem is sexuality, the acceptance of the 3rd gender. Another thing is he showed how gays are, for me they are still of the same gender, male/female, who are misunderstood.Is it because they act as the opposite of what the masses think a gender should act they should see it as a wrong doing? This book makes us realize to be more open-minded about serious things happening around us. An epic en d to this epic essay, Lech in Spanish is milk yet in this story it symbolizes many things like the bar where Vince wanted Dante to take him after being drunk or as an expression used when shocked or mad. Though this book means different things, in my opinion like the expression we usually use LECH being a part of our culture, like Vince whatever happens the Philippines will always be a big in his life.

Rei Sustainability Case

To: Council of Executive Vice Presidents Date: 1th of November, 2012 From: Anders F? dder Subject: Evaluation of REI’s sustainability goals I am writing in response to your inquiry regarding the plausibility of maintaining the continuous growth of the company as well as satisfying its sustainability goals. The following sections will address the three issues, mentioned by top management, by first describing them, then interpreting them and lastly they will be evaluated.Conclusion and recommendations will be based on this. REI focus greatly on the impact that their business has on the environment. They continuously work on finding new and innovative solution that will help reduce these negative effects. Their corporate mission emphasises this commitment: â€Å"At REI, we inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship† REI’s stewardship priorities: * Encourage the active conservation of nature Inspire the responsible use and enjoyme nt of the outdoors * Enhance the natural world and our communities through responsible business practices * Foster opportunities to increase participation in human-powered outdoor recreation * Maintain REI as an employer of choice, where employees are highly engaged in the vision of the company and are representative of our communities The CEO, Kevin Hagen, also stated that these financial and environmental goals and aspiration must be met without sacrificing either. Hagen advocated shifting to a framework of â€Å"no tradeoffs† thus making a paradigm shift; Innovation over compromise.Issue 1 First issue is whether the company’s stated sustainability goals and aspirations are consistent with its corporate mission and its stated stewardship objectives that are listed above. REI sustainability goals focus on three areas; energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission (carbon footprint) and reduction of waster to landfills. The company plans to add water, toxics, land use an d social impact to this list in near future. Each of these areas has an aspiration for 2020, a goal for 2015 and a budget for the current year. Energy consumptionREI has taken different initiatives to increase their energy efficiency by switching to new renewable power sources wherever possible. They mission is to keep their energy consumption at a fixed level despite opening new stores. One the ways they do this is by investing in self-generation options such as solar technology. Their ways of managing their energy use and increasing efficiency include: * Solar technology in many of our stores * Lighting: * Elimination of all incandescent bulbs from our retail stores * Installation of highly energy-efficient bulbs and fixtures * Greater reliance on skylights and natural lighting Heating & cooling (HVAC): * Aggressive retrofitting and replacement of outdated HVAC equipment with sophisticated new models * Centralized monitoring * Energy-saving techniques such as on-demand ventilation and airflow * Measurement of our stores' energy efficiency against similar buildings nationwide with the ENERGY STAR benchmarking tool Greenhouse gas emission (GHG) The aspiration for 2020 concerning GHG was to be climate neutral. Their goal for 2015 was to cut GHG by 50 percent compared to 2010 emissions. The budget for each year was a specific target in tons of CO2 that was defined by the 2015 goal.REI looked at many aspects of their business in order to reach this goal. These were not limited by their own specific action within REI. They look beyond themselves and try to change the way their employees and suppliers act to. The list include: employee commuting and travel, travel by customers participating in REI Adventures programs from their homes to the site of program, transportation of products from vendors to the company and shipments to customers. However, they have not included customer transportation to and from the stores.REI provides meaningful incentives for their empl oyees to reduce the environmental impacts of commuting and corporate travel. These include: * A 50 percent transit subsidy * Showers and secure bike storage at every REI facility * Telecommuting options at our headquarters location * Web conferencing and other technology tools In 2011, REI partnered with The Nature Conservancy to implement an afforestation project on the Bayou Bartholomew property in Louisiana, which will restore forest continuity with the adjacent Chemin-a-Haut State Park.Funding provided voluntarily by REI Adventures will finance the future retirement of carbon offsets from this project. Through this effort, REI supported The Nature Conservancy's restoration of this forest ecosystem, as well as the design of a carbon project. This carbon project has been validated and registered through a credible third-party certification system (the Verified Carbon Standard). The effort will contribute to long-term systemic change, benefitting the atmosphere and the forest ecosy stem, and has been designed to produce verifiable carbon offsets in the future.Though REI would seek new and innovative solutions to all aspects within the company, there is at least one were they could only offset rather than reduce. REI’s largest source of GHG emissions was REI Adventures which generated 31 percent of its total, namely flying members to adventure destinations. This exception was dealt with by purchasing carbon offsets as a part of the travel package, paid by REI. Reduction of waste to landfills REI aspiration for 2020 was to have no waste to landfills and cut waste to landfills by half between 2010 and 2015.In order to achieve this, they strive to make their packaging shipping operations as efficient as possible. They work with vendors, shipping companies and industry colleagues to pioneer new approaches to this complex situation. One example of this is how they reinvented the way bicycles were packaged and shipped. The bikes, shipped in cardboard boxes fro m china, was packaged in parts and assembled at one location in the US from where they were sent to the stores. The extensive packing, taped and stapled together, held the parts and assembled bikes securely but was difficult to assemble and disassemble.REI revised this process in way that allowed them to reuse the carton over and over again. Essentially, the same cartons that was used from the manufacturer in China, was used throughout the supply chain and returned to China, to once again be use. Thereby recycling all the materials rather than sending it to landfills. This decreased the cardboard consumption by more than 60 percent. Additionally they saved more than $1 million in annual labour hours due to reduced time required to pack and unpack bikes. Recap REI saw a rise in its net carbon impact during 2010.But the increase was smaller than overall company growth during the year, as measured by sales. Overall, the company used 2. 4% less energy in its facilities, despite adding f our new stores and relocating two retail locations to larger spaces. Other sustainability efforts include purchasing 58. 4% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper fiber, and recycling 74% of total operational waste, including more than 95% at REI’s two distribution centers. Community efforts included 109,785 volunteer hours committed through 541 REI-hosted conservation projects to plant trees, restore trails, and clean parks and streams.The company also funded $3. 7 million in grants provided to 330 nonprofit partners with a focus on conservation and outdoor recreation. However, REI is transferring renewable energy certificates generated by their solar panels. Since they do not claim credit for reducing carbon when doing so, this is creating a problem in terms of reaching carbon zero. A challenge they must overcome if they intend to reach their aspirations. REI could further reduce their GHG by reevaluating the use of New Zealand as a destination. Many locations on North American (e. g.Alaska, Canada, and the Rocky Mountains) continent have similar location to offer, and seeing that New Zealand is half away around the world, this could be an effective substitution. Exhibit three displays the progress of reaching the 2015 goals. Is shows the actual status of all three areas in e. g. the first quarter of 2011, the plan for 2011, the trajectory for 2015 and the goal for 2015. Though the trajectories for 2015 for all three are above the goal, one can see from the actual status for 2011, that they are all fairly close if not under the plan for the same year.So despite the gloom trajectory for 2015 REI is indeed on the right path. Issue 2 The second issue was identifying the potential risks with REI adopting the â€Å"No Trade-offs† approach articulated by the corporate social responsibility group, seen from a managerial performance measurement perspective. The â€Å"No trade-offs† approach presents several risks. It can prove be expen sive, not only in the solutions required to fulfil but also the hours it take to reach them. As the CEO aspires innovation over comprise, the employees will always have to look for new ways of performing tasks.This takes time and time is money. This is also a very black and white approach leaving none or very little wiggle room. The employees need to stay within the parameters and in some cases they might be looking for solutions that are simply not there. Again, this is time consuming and will undoubtedly make REI miss out on additional earnings lost by looking in other fixed directions. REI has set the bar high and this might also have a negative effect on the people working to find the solutions. If the goals seem too impossible, it might demotivate rather than inspire thus lowering the morale among the workforce.However, by setting a more reasonable goal for 2015 this is somewhat counteracted. Recap So there are several risks by the â€Å"No trade-off† approach, but REI s eems to get around them. The company is still growing and still finding ways to lower their influence on the environment. The Workplace section also notes that REI has been included on Fortune magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work for† list for 14 consecutive years. The company has a 79% employee retention rate. Issue 3 The third issue was to evaluate the validity of the company’s approach to measuring its carbon emission.The goals for environmental sustainability were set by the office of CEO. They were included in the company’s non-financial KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). The CSR group is tasked to carry them out, however they also make the recommendation to the office of the CEO on which the goals are based. This could create internal problematic situation as it is the same people who make the recommendations for the goals as well as carrying them, though some tasks are overseen by other departments than CSR.However, REI take a comprehensive view of their environmental impact using a framework that reflects the work of the Outdoor Industry Association’s Eco Working Group. They have established key performance metrics for e. g. the three before mentioned areas, and in 2011, they implemented measurement and reporting tools that enables them to forecast, budget and review their progress in these areas. These metrics tie directly into strategic and financial planning for key REI divisions, and results are assessed quarterly by company leadership.REI also became a member of bluesign technologies in 2008. The program requires tight manufacturing controls in mills and factories in order to be certified. This approach will provide greater supply chain transparency in support of REI's goal of reducing the environmental impact of its products. The transparency will also allow them to make a more precise assessment of their impact, as they will have greater access to their suppliers’ information regarding manufacturi ng. Recap Based on this I deem the validity of the company’s approach to measuring its carbon emission as high.

Technology Assisted collaborative communications The WritePass Journal

Technology Assisted collaborative communications Introduction Technology Assisted collaborative communications IntroductionReference:Related Introduction Netiquette is a social convention adopted by internet users on the web that help interact over networks ranging from mailing to blogs and forums and live chat. Since the internet has changed rapidly, its netiquette does too, the need for a sense of netiquette arises mostly when sending or distributing e-mail, chatting or posting comments. To some point, the practice of netiquette relies on accepting how e-mail, chatting or other aspects of the internet work or is practiced. For example, on an email discussion list – not everyone may have seen past message- it’s considered polite to quote from a message you’re replying to, so your response has context. It is considered that to keep quotes short and relevant. Web based forum, on the other hand where the original messages are visible to all, quoting is unnecessary. Netiquette is a term referring to a good behaviour while connected to the internet below is some good and bad examples of netiquette while using the internet facilities. Good Examples: Requesting permission for images and extra intellectual rights from the author and owners. Using proper grammar and spelling Not Using someone else’s identity such as name and pretending to be someone else Not posting something illegal Not using abusive and threatening language. Not post racist comments Not trying to capture personal information about someone Bad Examples: Trying to be someone else and using their personal information and their identity Using foul language in a message or in a live chat Posting comments on racism To gather private information about someone Netiquette is communicating clearly online; this helps students with their learning as it gives the students a guide on   how to speak or type in a message or to people using online communication tools such as Facebook, Skype or Windows live Messenger.   This helped me to attempt my assignment one as it was a group assignment we had to use online communication tools in order to communicate. We clearly used appropriate language to communicate and sent brief short message emails to each of the group members. As a group we used appropriate behaviour to communicate with each other and it helped us into attempting assignment one it helped us to keep quotes short and relevant and easy to read. Throughout this module we had to attempt Assignment one; and in order to do that we had to communicate we each other as it was a group assignment. As we didn’t have time to communicate all the time due to other modules and other coursework and not everyone in our group was doing the same modules, we had to communicate by online communication using Skype, Facebook and Windows live messenger. We used mainly Skype as we were able to communicate as a group and not individual. Using online communication was an advantage for us as a group this is because we communicated anywhere, we didn’t have to discuss everything face to face or coming to the university and discussing the work, we discussed it over Skype and other online communication in order to help each other out for the group assignment and how to attempt each part. Blackboard was also used; it was used in order get in touch with the lecturer we posted comments in the discussion forum as a group or individual to get he lp with the assignments and other work relating to the lecturer. Online communications are used to be reserved for emails sent to co-workers and bosses. Today, however, emails and online conferences and other different methods kinds of online communications have not only become widely accepted, but often preferred to other methods. Online communications can offer several advantages and disadvantages. There is convenience; users don’t need to wait in for the other person to be available in order to get the message to them, they can just send an email.   Today for better communications, we can avail the facilities of e-mail, we can chat for hours. There are plenty messenger tools in present, these services it has become easy to start a friendship where users can share their thoughts. Advantages of Instant messaging is; users are able to send message in real time, free to use, having to have a proper face to face conversation without making a large bill and users are able to chat to more than one person at the same time. However there are disadvantages in using online communications. Some people decide to send viruses via email and in the processing infecting the user computers. Virus email can be difficult in order to be detected especially to someone with a very little knowledge of computer viruses and how they work. It’s not only emails that are the downside of online communications there are more such Instant messaging, the downside of instant messaging is that viruses can be sent via files, needs internet connection and computer and last of you don’t who you are really talking too. As technology progresses and the world has become more reliant up on internet functions online learning has gained popularity and functionality.   I personally can say it has benefited me, as it enables me to access it 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I am able to have the ability to read and re read lectures, discussion, explanations and comments. Each student has their personal way of learning some can learn visually and others do better when they â€Å"learn by doing†.   As online learning has benefited me I can study the lectures and materials of the modules on my own time or whenever I have the access to a computer or to the internet, it allows me to work at my own pace when learning modules. As I can choose when I want to work on my studies, I am more likely to devote my full attention to the task and not be distracted to comprehend to the lesson.   One of greatest things about online learning is that I can learn anywhere this is a benefit to me as I can learn even in the comfort of my own home; this can save me countless hours of transits. Instead of enduring a boring and often a stressful- rush to get to class at a horrible hour of the morning, I can use these hours for actual learning. Normally I often have more one on one interaction with my lecturers as correspondence through email is essential as my lecturers will know more about me and they way I learn and needs than a student they see two or three times a week in their lecturers. Online learning has not benefited me in this course; this is because in all of my modules it is required that we attend lectures and tutorials so for that we don’t miss out in anything important. Throughout the course, I’ve tried learning some things online, but it was a fail. It was only clear if the lecturer explained it, there was no point learning it online or any other way as it wasn’t clear enough. Online learning is a benefit in some of the modules but for this modules is not, when the work is set is required we practice it there and there so therefore there is no need to learn something online. Online learning does benefit some students in the course as for them they think it’s better to learn in this method, but for some it’s the other way around they think it’s better to attend lectures and tutorials to learn the module. Reference: Netiquette: Erin Hoffman. (2005). what is netiquette. Available: wisegeek.com/contest/what-is-netiquette.htm. Last accessed 28th March 2011. Wendy Grossman. (2010). what is netiquette. Available: bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-netiquette. Last accessed 4th April 2011. Advantages and disadvantages: Jayashree Pakhare. (2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet. Available: buzzle.com/articles/advantages-disadvantages-internet.html. Last accessed 4 April 2011.

Balanced Budget Amendment - Pros and Cons in Budgeting

Balanced Budget Amendment - Pros and Cons in Budgeting The balanced budget amendment is a proposal introduced in Congress almost every two years, without success, that would limit the federal governments spending to no more than it generates in revenue from taxes in any fiscal year. While almost every state is prohibit from running deficits, federal lawmakers have never gotten  a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution signed by the president, and the government continues to run deficits in the hundreds of billions and trillions of dollars every year.   One of the milestones in the modern debate over the balanced budget amendment came in 1995, when the House of Representatives led by Speaker Newt Gingrich passed legislation that would have banned the federal government from running deficits as part of the Republican Partys Contract With America. It truly has been, I think, an historic moment for the country. We kept our promise. We worked hard. We produced a real change, Gingrich said at the time. But the victory was short-lived, and the balanced budget amendment championed by Gingrich and fiscal conservatives who had been swept into power was defeated  in the Senate by two votes. The same battle has been waged for decades and the concept is often raised during congressional and presidential campaigns because the notion of keep a balanced budget is popular among voters, particularly conservative Republicans.   What Is the Balanced Budget Amendment? Most years, the federal government spends more money than it takes in through taxes. That’s why there is a budget deficit. The government borrows the additional money it needs. That’s why the national  debt is near $20 trillion. The balanced budget amendment would prohibit the federal government from spending more than it takes in each year unless Congress specifically authorizes the additional spending through a three-fifths or two-thirds vote. It would require the president to submit a balanced budget each year. And it would allow Congress to waive the balanced budget requirement when there is a declaration of war. Amending the Constitution is more complicated than simply passing a law. Passing an amendment to the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in each House. It is not submitted to the President for his signature. Instead, three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve it to be added to the Constitution. The only other way to amend the Constitution is to convene a Constitutional Convention at the request of two-thirds of the states. The convention method has never been used to amend the Constitution. Arguments for the Balanced Budget Amendment Advocates of a balanced budget amendment say  the federal government spends too much every year. They say that Congress has been unable to control spending without some kind of restraint and that, if spending is not controlled, our economy will suffer and our standard of living will drop. The federal government will continue to borrow until investors no longer will purchase bonds. The federal government will default and our economy will collapse. If Congress is required to balance the budget, it would figure out what programs are wasteful and would spend money more wisely, advocates say. â€Å"It’s simple math: The federal government should not be spending more taxpayer money that it brings in,† said Republican U.S. Sen. Grassley of Iowa, a longtime supporter of a balanced budget amendment.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Almost every state has adopted some form of a balanced budget requirement, and it’s past time that the federal government follows suit.† Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, a cosponsor with Grassley on a balanced budget amendment, added: Hardworking Americans have been forced to bear the burden of Congress’ inability and unwillingness to control federal overspending. As our federal debt continues to rise at an alarming rate, the least we can do is require the federal government to not spend more money than it has at its disposal.† Arguments Against a Balanced Budget Amendment Those opposed to a constitutional amendment say that it is too simplistic. Even with the amendment, balancing the budget will have to be done each year by legislation. This would require Congress to coordinate a large number of pieces of legislation – twelve appropriation bills, tax legislation, and any supplemental appropriations to name just a few of them. To balance the budget right now, Congress would have to eliminate many programs. In addition, when there is an economic downturn, the amount of taxes the federal government takes in usually drops. Spending often must be increased during those times or the economy can get worse. Under the balanced budget amendment, Congress would be unable to increase the needed spending. This is not a problem for states because they don’t control fiscal policy, but Congress needs the ability to stimulate the economy. By requiring a balanced budget every year, no matter the state of the economy, such an amendment would raise serious risks of tipping weak economies into recession and making recessions longer and deeper, causing very large job losses. That’s because the amendment would force policymakers to cut spending, raise taxes, or both just when the economy is weak or already in recession - the exact opposite of what good economic policy would advise, wrote Richard Kogan of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Outlook Amending the Constitution is a rare and daunting task. It takes a great deal of time to adopt an amendment. The House may pass the constitutional amendment, but the outlook is much more uncertain in the Senate. If it passes there, it still needs to be ratified by three-fourths of the states. Because of the legitimate opposition to a balanced budget amendment among some economists and policymakers, Congress is unlikely to undertake the cumbersome process of even considering the amendment barring a significant debt crisis.

Finance Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Finance Assessment - Essay Example In this concept one stocks performance is benchmarked by the performance of another stock. The returns which will be generated are compared relatively to other stocks of similar nature operating in the markets (Gitman, 2003). The major difference between both the absolute and relative return is that absolute return is concerned about the returns which are generated from one particular asset or stock, whereas in relative return the stock is compared or benchmarked with the measures of other stocks. The most debated concept of Security Analysis and Portfolio Management is about the understanding whether a portfolio has been properly analyzed for the returns which the investors will get or understanding the relative performance of that particular stock in the markets (Deloitte, 2010). The investors need to redefine the definition of risk, how it is measured and how to deal with it and for this reason; investors create a portfolio of different stocks and securities. Alpha and Beta are th e tools used by the investors to assess their portfolios and measure whether or not their investments are generating the expected returns considering the risk they are taking. Assessing a portfolio in terms of both Alpha and Beta, the investor will have more control over the portfolio and he will maximize the returns by minimizing risk (Koba, 2012). The measurement of an investment on risk adjusted basis is called Alpha. Investors seek to minimize risk and increase returns (Loth, 2007). The stock prices are subject to volatility. The price risk associated to a portfolio determines the return expected by the investor. The additional return which an investor gets on a portfolio apart from the benchmark set is called Alpha. A negative Alpha of a portfolio shows underperformance (Faulkenberry, n.d.). Beta is a tool which is used to measure the volatility of risk associated to a portfolio as compared to the performance of the market. Regression analysis is used to calculate Beta. In othe r terms Beta is the propensity of investment return to respond to the market volatility. The lower the value of Beta, lesser will be the volatility of the stock with respect to the market. Both Alpha and Beta are popular tools used for the measurement of volatility. Alpha compares the asset returns on the investment to the risk adjusted expected returns whereas Beta is the movement of the asset along with the benchmark that has been set by the market. Alpha is very important for assessing the growth and the returns that are associated to the portfolio. It depends on the structure of the portfolio, the investor and the market which is being analyzed that which factor either the Beta or the Alpha will be critically significant for the investor (Seeking Alpha, 2011). With the varying school of thoughts the perceptions of the importance of Alpha or Beta vary. Alpha and Beta alone do not possess the potential to assess the risk instantly and adjust the portfolio for the returns. Alpha al one is not sufficient to assess the skills which are derived from the leverage of the portfolio. It is not suitable for a risk averse investor and may end up being a misleading performance measure for the investors. The value of Alpha itself is not sufficient for the assessment of the stock but it can be used if a benchmark of the portfolio is set. Beta does not possess this benefit. The direction of the market cannot be assessed by the benchmark Beta set for the portfolio. The use of Alpha and the speculations made by using it are very consistent. The

Financial Analysis for Kroger Co Research Paper

Financial Analysis for Kroger Co - Research Paper Example For an industry like Kroger’s, the most important factor for consumers is price. The products available in supermarkets are not differentiated and therefore they cannot be advertised heavily. Much of the advertisement that is done is carried out on the basis of attracting families to shop at Kroger because it is cost effective to do so. Apart from being cost effective Kroger also has products of high quality which makes it popular among American consumers. Kroger Co. has 42 manufacturing plants and including dairies, beverages and meat plants and all of these plants are of the highest standards. In the recent years there has been a tremendous increase in the fuel prices and the recent financial meltdown has made things worse for many industries including Kroger. The rise in fuel prices caused an increase in costs of the products sold by Kroger. Kroger is both a manufacturing company and a retail outlet and was therefore heavily affected by the increase in cost of fuel and othe r raw materials. According to Porter, there are 3 strategies a company can adopt to become competitive and Kroger has undertaken the â€Å"cost leadership† strategy which helps to differentiate it from the rest of the supermarket chains. The continuing increase in fuel prices will prevent Kroger from increasing costs and the strategy and it would be difficult to achieve goals. Kroger can shift to alternative sources of energy and reduce its costs that way. The recent financial meltdown meant that the demand for grocery products decreased to a large extent. In the past consumers would buy gourmet foods and other items from supermarkets but due to the credit crises that has decreased. Consumers have become more price conscious and buy only items that are necessary. Such a decrease in spending has affected the entire industry at large and profit margins have gone down since the past. In 2009 there was a 60.5% drop in consumer confidence index. (Zahorsky) Kroger has been taking a dvantage of the opportunities and developed its own brand called â€Å"Private Selection† and manufactures its own products under this brand name. Consumers often prefer branded products in place of national and Kroger has been successful in understanding this need. In 2009 Kroger earned around $1 billion in sales from this brand alone and the sales continue to grow today (Zahorsky). Such a step by Kroger would not only help the company but the industry as a whole. Liquidity Ratio Current ratio of Kroger Co. for the financial year 2012: = = 0.804 Current ratio for the year 2012= 0.804:1. The current ratio for the industry is around 0.8 which is the same as Kroger (Kroger Co. Ratios, 2012). The